I promised a second post about the App Store charts and that is coming. But over the past days it has become clear that standing up this madness can’t wait.

I wrote a statement about it at Toca Boca because it goes against so much of what we believe in. Quoted below:

From Toca Boca’s founding and forward we have made digital toys for kids all over the world. We intentionally design products that work in many different countries and cultures. The context for playing may differ, but the underlying principle is the same: Play is universal, it’s something kids around the world have in common. It is with this in mind I feel compelled to write something about the events that happened over the last few days in the U.S.

I am an immigrant to the U.S. myself. I came from a peaceful country and have the option to return at any time. Many other immigrants don’t have this luxury. For me, a strength of the U.S. is its inclusive view of nationality — you can be born in another country, have a different background or opposing political views, but you can still be an American. It’s a unique view of nationality that is something to be proud of. However, executive orders in the last few days have taken a different approach.

Banning people of a certain faith is unacceptable. Banning people of a certain ethnic background is unacceptable. Banning people from specific countries is unacceptable. It’s 2017 and I feel statements like these should be redundant by now. But in the light of recent news it is clear that this is not the case. It further emphasizes the importance for both individuals and companies to speak up. When we start drawing lines and building walls between people everyone loses.

One of our guiding principles is that no kid should feel excluded by Toca Boca. This inclusive view sets the ambition for everything we do and also how we look at the world around us. We stand with families and those in our community affected by this. We will continue to do our part in supporting a global understanding of each other and focus on the things that unite rather than what divides.

Björn Jeffery

CEO & Co-Founder of Toca Boca